Traction-engine.



H. E. ALTGELT.

TRACTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1916.

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H. E. ALTGELT. TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATIDN FILED MN. 29. 1916. I

Patented Dec. 12, 11916.

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7 APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. I916. lifi'fii gfim Patflltfid Dec.12,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A Horne 116',

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

1,2tltdil95.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 19th.

Application filed January 29, 1916. Serial No. 75,086.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN E. ALToEL'r,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Braunfels, in the county of Comal and State of Texas, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lraction-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to improvements in traction engines,-one object of the invention being to construct a traction engine or tractor of that type which employ ambulatory wheels. in such manner that means shall be provided which shall serve the double purpose of driving the ambulatory wheels and to compensate for vertical movements of the wheels so that the horizontal position of the body of the vehicle may be maintained substantially uniform during the travel of the machine. I

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims,

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side elevation of'a tractor embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same: Fig. 3 is an end view partly in section, Figs. 1 a, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail views, and Fig. 4 is a view of a modification.

The framework of the tractor may comprise side beams 1, 1, spaced apart and between these, suitable motors 22 (such as internal combustion engines) are located and the frames of these motors are utilized to form parts of the framework. as will be hereinafter more specifically explained.

The motors are provided at respective ends with tubular bosses 3 through which the main driving shaft 4 passes. Trans versely disposed brackets 5 are secured at their outer ends to the side beams of the framework and at their inner ends, these brackets loosely embrace the tubular bosses 3,the inner ends of these brackets being secured together as indicated at 6. ()ne of the motors is alsorigidly secured to the side beams 1 by means of bolts 7. The motors are provided with upper and lower arms 8-9 to which truck frames 1010 are pivotally connected by means of suitable pivot pins 1112, and with these truck frames, ambulatory wheels 13 are connected, as presently explained.

By constructing the framework as above described, with one of the motors secured rigidly to the side beams and'the other motor capable of having a rocking movement relatively to the side beams, the structure will have such flexibility as to permit the wheels to ride over obstructions and to conform to the unevenness of the ground without imparting strains. and jars to the body of the tractor and the mechanism carried thereby.

Each ambulatory wheel may conveniently comprise a hub ll having a plurality of radial recessed seats 15 in which the inner ends of legs 16 (preferably in the form of channel iron) are located. The hub is also made with recessed seats 17 in which the inner ends of channel iron arms 18 are located. Bolts 1920 serve to secure the legs 16 and arms 18 to the hub and, if desired, spacing sleeves 21 may be located on said bolts so as to be disposed between the annular members forming portions of the hub.

A foot 22 is located at the outer end of each leg 16 and provided with a flange 23 securely bolted to the leg, and the foot may also be provided with suitable strengthening ribs 24. Each foot 22 is made with two flat tread faces '25 disposed at an obtuse angle to each other so as to converge at the center of the foot as indicated at 26.

Spindles 27 pass through the hubs of the wheels and to these spindles, slide blocks 28 are attached and embrace brackets 29 carried by and depending from the truck frames and thus the wheels may be connected with the truck frames and guided in their vertical movements relatively thereto.

Each ambulatory wheel has secured thereto a cam wheel 30 having a number of cam sections 31 corresponding to the num-' ber of legs 16 employed. The cam wheel 30 comprises two parallel members 31-32 spaced apart and secured respectively to the legs 16 and arms 18 by means of bolts 33 and on each of the latter, a sleeve 34; may be located. By this construction, the cam wheel also forms a gear wheel which with a pinion 35 carried by the body of the tractor, is adapted to'mesh.

The pinion 35 at respective ends of the tractor are carried by shaft sections 3636 mounted in the truck frames and the latter are made with enlargements 37 having openings 38 for the accommodation of differential gearing 39 disposed between said shaft sections. Motion is imparted to the differential gearing at respective ends of the tractor by means of pinions 40 (which may be on extensions of the lower pivot pins 12). Gears 41 are also mounted on the pins or short shafts'12 so as to rotate with the pinions 40 and these. gears receive motion from pinions 42 secured to respective ends of the main driving shaft 4. A shaft 43 is mounted in the upper portions of the truck frames and extends from one of said truck frames to the other. Levers 44 are secured between their ends to respective ends of the shaft 43 and respective ends of each of said levers are connected, by means of links45, with arms 46 pivoted to the truck frames in proximity to the difierential gearing 39. Each pivoted arm carries a roller 47 to engage the differential and said arms 46 are so located that when the shaft 43 is operated, the roller on one of said arms will engage the differential and shift the same to reverse the direction of travel of thetractor. Normally, one of the arms 46 will be so disposed as to limit the shifting movement of the difi'erential and thus insure the driving engagement of one of its gears with the pinion 40 at all times. A handle 48 may be secured to the shaft 43 at any suitable point thereon,

60 of the tractor, a circular gear 30 may be for operating the same.

The curve of each section of the cam wheel is such that the segment of an are passing through the bolts or teeth 33, shall have a radius approximating the radius of a segment concentr'iewith the hub of the wheel and touching the apices of two shoes, said segment having'a chord of which one face of a shoe forms a part.

By constructing the' ambulatory wheels and the cam wheels as hereinbefore described and associating said cam wheels with the pinions 35 on the tractor as previously explained, the vertical movements incident to the use of ambulatory wheels will not be transmitted to the body of the machine, and hence the latter will always maintain a proper horizontal position. It will be also observed that the means which accomplish this result are also utilized as'essential elements of the propelling or driving mechanism of the tractor.

Instead of securing cam gears to the ambulatory wheels to mesh with circular driving gears or pinions carried by the body secured to each ambulatory wheel and a driving gear or pinion 35 made in the form of a cam may be substituted for the gear or pinion 35. With this construction, the cam driving gear will have a circumferzaaoaees ence, one-sixth of that of the gear on the ambulatory wheel, when said wheel comprises SlX legs.

The respective truck frames are provided with hounds 49 disposed over the framework of the tractor and having worm racks 50 on their under faces. lVorms 51 are mounted in arms 52 projecting from the motor frames and mesh with said worm racks. Each of these worms is provided at its respective ends with gears 53 and adjacent thereto, a longitudinally movable shaft 54 is mounted in the arms 52 so as to be disposed parallel with the axis of the adj acent worm 51. Pinions 55 are mounted loosely on the shaft 54 but are not movable in a direction longitudinally of said shaft. These pinions mesh with the gears on respective ends of the worm and in order that such meshing of the pinions with the gears on the worm may be maintainec .vhen the shaft 54 is shifted longitudinally, the teeth of the gears 53 on the worm are elongated. The pinions 55 are made with beveled friction wheels 56 and one or the other of said friction wheels may be caused to engage a friction wheel 57, according to shifting of the shaft 54. The friction wheel 57 is carried by one end of a short shaft 58, and to the other end of this short shaft, a beveled pinion 59 is secured. The two beveled pinions 59 mesh with an receive motion from beveled gears 60 on the main driving shaft 4. If desired the gears 60 may be carried by a pulley 61 and this pulley may be utilized to receive a strap for driving any desired farm machinery.

During the normal straight travel of the tractor, each shaft 54 may be so adjusted thatneither of the friction wheels 56 will engage driving friction wheels 57, but when said shafts are shifted so as to bring either of each pair of friction wheels 56 into engagement with the adjacent friction wheel 57, power will be transmitted from the main drivin shaft, through the gearing above describec i to the worms and finally to the hounds, for turning the truck frames and thus guiding the direction of travel of the tractor.

It may be here stated that my improved tractor has been designed so that it shall be adaptable for use as draft means for plows, cultivators and planters. Such agricultural implements may be attached to respective ends of the tractor and suitable means provided for raising one while the other is at work, so that the tractor with the earth working elements may be run back and forth over the field without turning. It is desirable therefore that means shall be employed whereby the steering mechanism may be so manipulated that the tractor may be guided laterally when the ends of the field are reached, and to provide simple and efiicient manually controlled means whereby women the steering mechanism may be caused to guide the tractor laterally or cause it to be turned, the devices now to be described will be employed.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination with the body of a tractor, and ambulatory wheels mountedto have revoluble and also up-and-down movement relatively to the body, of a gear on each ambulatory wheel, and a driving gear on the body meshing with the gear on the ambulatory wheel to drive the latter, one of said gears made in the form of a cam.

2. The combination with the body of a tractor, and ambulatory wheels therefor, of a cam wheel secured to each wheel, wheels on the body of the tractor and engaging the cam wheels on the ambulatory wheels, and means on the tractor to drive the wheels on the body thereof and impart motion through said cam wheels to the ambulatory wheels.

3. The combination with the body of a tractor, and ambulatory wheels therefor, of a cam wheel secured to each ambulatory wheel and providing means constituting a gear wheel, pinions mounted on the tractor body and meshing with said cam gear wheels, and means on the tractor body for driving said pinions.

4. The combination with the body of a tractor, and ambulatory wheels therefor, of a cam gear secured to each wheel, shafts mounted on the tractor, pinions carried by said shafts and meshing with the cam gears on the ambulatory wheels, means for driving said shafts, and means for controlling the direction of rotation of said shafts.

5. The combination with a tractor body, of truck frames connected with respective ends thereof, revoluble ambulatory wheels having vertically movable connection with said truck frames, cam wheels secured to said ambulatory wheels, and driving wheels mounted on the truck frames and cooperating with said cam wheels to. drive the ambulatory wheels.

6. The combination with a tractor body, and truck frames connected with respective women of thin patent may be obtained for to the ambulatory wheels and driving wheels carried by said truck frames and engaging said cam wheels to rotate the ambulatory wheels.

7 The combination with a tractor body and vertically movable spindles connected therewith, of ambulatory wheels having hubs receiving said spindles, a cam gear secured to each wheel, pinions carried by the tractor body and meshing with cam gears on the ambulatory wheels, means for driving said pinions, and means for'driving the wheels on the truck frame to drive the ambulatory wheels.

8. The combination with atractor body and vertically movable spindles carried thereby, of ambulatory wheels, each of said wheels comprising a hub to receive one of said spindles, a plurality of legs secured to said hub and feet secured to said legs, arms secured to said hub, cam wheel members, bolts securing said cam wheel members to the legs and arms and constituting gear teeth, shafts carried the body of the tractor, pinions secured to said shafts and engaging the gear teeth connecting said cam wheel members, and means for driving said shafts.

9. The combination with a tractor body,

and vertically movable spindles connected therewith, of ambulatory wheels, each comprising a hub to receive one of said spindles. legs radiating from said hub, and feet secured to said legs, each foot having two inclined tread faces converging at the center of the foot. a cam wheel secured to each armbulatory wheel and having a plurality of sections each having a radius approximately equal to the radius of a segment concen ric with the center of the wheel and touching the apices of two feet and having a chord of which one flat face of a foot forms a part. and wheels carried by the body of the tractor and engaging the cam wheels.

In testimony whereof, l[ have signed this specification in the presence of two. subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN E. ALTGELT.

Witnesses ALBERT EICKENROHT, ANDREW lLnNER'r.

Washington, 10 t2. 

